The Effects of Altitude On Human Physiology
Changes in altitude have a profound effect on the human body. The body
attempts to maintain a state of homeostasis or balance to ensure the optimal
operating environment for its complex chemical systems. Any change from this
homeostasis is a change away from the optimal operating environment. The body
attempts to correct this imbalance. One such imbalance is the effect of
increasing altitude on the body's ability to provide adequate oxygen to be
utilized in cellular respiration. With an increase in elevation, a typical
occurrence when climbing mountains, the body is forced to respond in various
ways to the changes in external environment. Foremost of these changes is the
diminished ability to obtain oxygen from the atmosphere. If the adaptive
responses to this stressor are inadequate the performance of body systems may
decline dramatically. If prolonged the results can be serious or even fatal. In
looking at the effect of......
Join Now or Login to view the rest of this paper.
Approximate Word Count: 4138
Approximate Pages: 16 (260 words per double-spaced page) |